


Impulses

by likingandloving



Category: Parks and Recreation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-21 00:11:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4807580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likingandloving/pseuds/likingandloving
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben has always been one to make impulse decisions, but this feels anything but an impulse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Impulses

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So this is sort of my first work for this fandom, as well as my first post here for AO3 so I hope you like it! It's not betaed so all mistakes are mine. :)

He buys the ring on an impulse.

It was a cloudy, gloomy Saturday in Washington. He had passed a jewelry store, suddenly deciding that maybe Leslie needed a new bracelet or something despite the fact Ben knew she had around 10 bracelets, ranging from friendship to charm, already sitting in a ratty jewelry box on her dresser.

But it’s the ring that catches his eye.

Leslie had called him that morning and they had breakfast together. He had an omelet while Leslie had her waffles, doused in syrup and whipped cream and they talked in rough morning voices about their plans for that day. She was telling him all about the houses that she was looking at and how they would be great for them, her voice maybe a little too enthusiastic for 6:30 in the morning.

“Oh and Ben, there was this one house near Cedar street that had the best wood floor panelings and it met 10 out of the 17 ‘Ben and Leslie’ future dream home criteria! Every house doesn’t have a trampoline room, sadly, and the real estate agent said that _none_ of the houses in Pawnee have one? Maybe we should bring them up at the next public forum.”

“Les, how people construct their own houses are none of the public’s business.”

“Yeah, well then there should be a law mandating at least a 5 square foot trampoline room! Oh and…”

She continues to drone on about the specifications of what mandated trampoline rooms would look like and his thoughts start to drift off slightly, thinking of what the house they would raise their family in would look like. He catches himself slightly off guard. Their _family_?

Well, if he was being honest, ever since he started dating Leslie it’s always been in the back of his mind, that she was the woman he’d make a family with. He’s never considered it as seriously as he did now, thinking of what color the kid’s room would be and if Leslie would be mad at him if he kept his comic book collection in their room.

“… and I could check what suppliers in Pawnee or maybe in Bloomington that could supply the rubber material. What do you think, Ben?”

“Oh yeah, I mean you should just make a binder on it if you feel this seriously about it.”

He can practically see her smile through the phone and he loves that he can just do that, just make her smile.

So that afternoon, he walks into a jewelry store, he wonders what he can buy that can make Leslie smile.

The ring was behind security glass, glinting brightly against the fluorescent spotlight. Ben can practically see it resting on Leslie’s left hand, watching her twist it nervously around her finger during a presentation before looking up to shoot him a classic ‘I’m-Leslie-Knope-and-I’ve-Got-This’ smile that he’ll return with a reassuring nod because she _can_ do this.

“It’s a non-conflict diamond. Mined in a small town in Brazil. It’s one of our finer cuts.” The salesman says, cutting him out of his thoughts.

Leslie’s always been extremely passionate about human rights, ready to debate with anyone for hours about labor laws and wage laws and how she probably wouldn’t let the debate end until she’s convinced the opposing party about just how important they were in any region of the world.

(And he’s been on the receiving end of some _very_ passionate campaign speeches about said topic)

He considers it a sign, that maybe apart from moving in together, this might be the next step.

It’s never been hard to imagine marrying her.

Imagining Sunday mornings, with waffles and whipped cream and late nights of listening to her keyboard type furiously because she does everything with her entire being, even if it’s just replying to emails at 1 in the morning because she claims that she can’t sleep knowing that her inbox has that little +1 sign next to it.

Maybe it’s never been hard imagining marrying her because it’s something he’s _always_ wanted.

Within five minutes, Ben ends up buying it.

He doesn’t even bother to check the price of what was probably a very expensive ring, because if it was for Leslie, whatever price was going to be worth it.

\---

He decides to fly back to Pawnee on impulse.

He took careful steps along the blue water that lies in front of the Washington Monument, letting the cold air chill his skin as he watches the people who scurry past him. Frazzled mothers, tugging on the hands of their impatient children who attempt to touch the reused water and stiff businessmen who mumble to themselves, attempting to remember whatever was written in the messy daybook their assistants had compiled.

Ben had slipped his cold fingers into worn pockets, the quiet song of the wind keeping him company as he thought of the situation he’s found himself in _again_. The celebration of Murray’s anticipated win for the campaign had gotten him hyped. An 18-point lead, his prime rival stopping his campaign and an almost sure position for the congressman had been celebrated with glasses of champagne and slices of cake being passed around the office.

He felt almost giddy, holding the bubbling drink in his hands and announcing to their team that they had done it. They had _won_ and there was all the reason in the world to celebrate. A wave of relief had crashed down upon him upon the realization that this was it. The campaign was over and another week and a half he’d be able to go home to Indiana, to Pawnee, to _Leslie_. He honestly thought that this day would never come and he’d be stuck for the rest of his life away in Washington.

And then Jen had brought him to her office, brushing off their win like it was a nuisance and asking him about what he was going to do next.

“Oh well, I was going to get some chicken parm and watch Blade Runner.”

The condescending look and disgusted facial expression told him that yeah, nope, that apparently wasn’t the sort of ‘next’ Jen was looking at.

“There’s this rich guy in Florida, tons of money, went to law school, blah, blah, blah, anyways, he heard of Murray’s campaign and said that he wanted whoever was running it and I would do it, but I’m tied up with this bimbo in Ohio whose Daddy wants her to be governor, so I gave him your name.”

“M-My name?”

“Yes, God, you need to stop with all the obvious questions, it was cute at first but now it’s gotten really old. So we’re heading to Florida in a week, bang out some details and see if he’ll pick us to run his campaign.” Jen sighs, clearly seeing the conflict on his face before patting him awkwardly on the shoulder.

“I get that it’s hard, but it’s for your future. This time, it won’t be so bleak.”

He was so sure that he was going to say no after contemplating it and talking to Leslie about it, but when they actually flew to Florida a week later and Kurt Swalder actually wanted _him_ to run his campaign, the pride he felt suddenly overshadowed his initial decision.

How was he going to turn _this_ down?

It had left Ben in the same situation before he left Pawnee; torn in between two situations that held almost equal importance to him. It was like forcing him to behead either Daenerys Targaryean or Captain Kirk.

He was in no position to do either.

So he decided that maybe walking around the length of the Washington monument after a few beers in his office would somehow give him answers, but instead he’s cold, miserable, and no closer to figuring out what he should do than he was a week ago.

Ben is halfway through his third round around the monument when a small, blonde girl hitting him in the shins before plopping down to her butt. She looks up at him, bottom lip wiggling before completely bursting out into tears.

Oh God.

“Oh, hey buddy, I’m sorry.” He rapidly apologizes, reaching down to pull her up to her unsteady feet just as a flustered man rushes over to them.

“Sorry dude, she sort of got away from me when me and my wife weren’t looking.” The man that must be her dad says before he sweeps the little girl off of her feet, softly bouncing her up and down.

“Patrick! Is she okay?” A blonde woman quickly strides toward the man and the child, reaching up to brush a few loose strands of the little girl’s hair out of her face.

“Yeah, she’s okay, she just ran into this nice man over here while she was trying to get away from me.” The woman smiles apologetically at Ben.

“I’m sorry about that, she’s been a nightmare ever since she learned to walk.” The mother inspects her little girl, running her hands down her legs to check for any scraps and bruises just as the father slowly rocks the little girl until her tears dwindled down to soft sniffles.

“Babe, she’s not hurt, she just got a little off-balance. See, look!” The man presses his nose against her red cheeks and blows a raspberry into her skin, causing their daughter to giggle and wave her small arms furiously. Ben shifts his gaze away, shifting nervously on the balls of his feet because he feels like he’s intruding on an intimate moment.

“Completely fine.” His wife huffs in what seems like disbelief, but the small smile that crosses her face deceives her.

“Fine, whatever, but if you hadn’t let her run off in the first place…”

“Blah, blah, blah. She’s fine, we’re fine. Everyone’s fine!” He places their daughter back on her feet and turning to Ben.

“Anyways, thanks man.” Patrick raises a hand in half thanks before taking his daughter’s hand and wrapping an arm around his wife.

Ben can see just by the subtle way he flexes his hand to grip his daughter tighter and the laugh of his wife as he mutters something he can’t really hear into her ear that these are the things he cherishes the most. Tightly holding on to them because he doesn’t ever want to lose them.

He can see himself in his shoes; wrapping a tight arm around Leslie and listening to her spout on about whatever project the Parks Department had going on for that month, quietly reassuring her that no she’s not crazy and yes it would be a good idea to place a station for injured birds in the park. He could see her bending down to pick up their own child, maybe a little girl with light blonde hair and her enthusiasm for public service or a little boy with his passion for math.

But no matter which way he spins a scenario; all he really knows is that it involves her.

Ben thinks back to Jen’s words, back in the office when she had taken his second beer and had almost convinced him with her tailored words to take the job, right then and there.

“Just think about your future.”

A house, a family, marrying Leslie.

_That_ was his future.

And it was waiting for him in Pawnee.

\---

Ben has always been one to make impulse decisions.

He broke his right arm when he was eight on an impulse decision to jump off the roof and prove to his brother that he wasn’t scared of heights.

He used all of his savings when he was 15 on a limited edition skateboard because he thought it would make him cool. (He never learned to skateboard.)

He runs for mayor and consequently bankrupts an entire town at the age of 18 on an impulse.

But he realizes now, as he quietly slips into the back of this house that he frankly thinks would be perfect for them, that maybe he wasn’t one for impulses at all.

He was one for listening to his gut.

And yeah, most of the time, it turns out it wasn’t his gut who was talking but instead just some need to prove that he was better than what other people thought of him.

But when he quietly coaxes out the very nice realtor he spoke with on the phone and comes to kneel on one knee in front of Leslie, he knows that his gut is right.

This is where he is meant to be.

This is what he was meant to do.

This is where he starts his future.

\---

 

 

 


End file.
